EU Protests Food BanThe European Union on Thursday protested Russia's ban on a wide variety of food imports as an excessive and disproportionate response to the foot-and-mouth outbreak in Europe. Press Protest SaturdayUp to 120 prominent public figures — including writers, filmmakers, musicians, journalists and politicians — have announced they will take part in a rally on Saturday in defense of NTV television and press freedom in Russia.Amato Meets PutinItalian Prime Minister Giuliano Amato met President Vladimir Putin on Thursday to discuss trade, the unrest in the Balkans and the upcoming Group of Seven summit in Italy. Adamkus VisitsLithuanian President Valdas Adamkus launched his first state visit to Russia on Thursday for talks on improving relations between the two neighbors and on his Baltic nation's European Union candidacy. More Spies in GermanyRussia has increased the number of spies operating out of its diplomatic missions in Germany, according to a report from the German internal security agency on Thursday. Kursk Raising PlanWhen Russia lifts the sunken nuclear submarine Kursk, it will leave the vessel's mangled torpedo compartment on the Barents Sea floor, Deputy Prime Minister Ilya Klebanov said Thursday. Missile Official DiesThe man in charge of the safety of the nation's vast nuclear missile arsenal has died from injuries he suffered in a car crash last month, the Strategic Rocket Forces said Thursday.

$250Bln in Flight?Some $250 billion taken out of Russia is sitting in foreign bank accounts, an Interior Ministry official said, Interfax reported Thursday.Sugar Tariff TalksThe Commission for Protective Measures in Foreign Trade will consider proposed changes to import tariffs on sugar and sunflower oil at a meeting Friday, an official said Thursday.IMF Says 4% GrowthA senior representative for the International Monetary Fund in Moscow said Thursday that the IMF was maintaining its 2001 economic growth forecast for Russia at 4 percent. Norilsk Picks BuildersMetals giant Norilsk Nickel said Thursday it selected Finland's Outokumpu Oyj and Mekhanobr Engineering to build a new ore processing plant at Norilsk's Arctic base, the Dow Jones news wire reported.Putin, WTO MeetingPresident Vladimir Putin will meet World Trade Organization chief Mike Moore in Moscow on Friday, a Kremlin spokeswoman said Thursday. Pipe to Crowd Straits?A leading U.S. tanker brokerage has warned that the newly opened Caspian oil pipeline from Kazakhstan to Novorossiisk will substantially contribute to the clogging of the already crowded Bosporus.Reserves Pass $30BlnThe Central Bank's gold and currency reserves increased 2.38 percent to a new high of $30.1 billion in the week to March 23, Prime-Tass reported the bank's press service as saying Thursday.Rusagro Plans UpgradeThe Rusagro group, a major player on the sugar market, plans to invest some $30 million in updating production at the Krasnodar oil and butter plant, which it bought in March, Interfax reported the general director of Rusagro as saying this week. Uraltel Wins CaseThe Sverdlovsk regional arbitration court decided against liquidating the region's largest cellular operator Wednesday and threw out the case against Uraltel, said Kirill Maslentsin, spokesman for shareholder Sistema Telecom.

WASHINGTON — The White House is starting a comprehensive review of all American aid programs to Russia set up to stop the spread of nuclear, biological and chemical weapons, a senior administration official said Wednesday. The broad review, started by National Security Council officials who have previously been critical of some of these programs, is likely to significantly change how Washington spends more than $760 million a year trying to dismantle former Soviet nuclear, biological and chemical complexes and prevent unconventional weapons and hazardous materials from being either sold to rogue states and terrorists or stolen by them. The senior official said that several of the programs, such as the Department of Energy's $173 million program to strengthen the security and accounting for fissile material at nuclear weapons storage sites, appeared to be ""very effective.